SUNDAY 1 JUNE 2025
Blackwood – a hidden gem amongst a picturesque natural backdrop
Welcome to the NEW Race 1 Location for the 2025 Trail Running Series – BLACKWOOD!
Race 1 for 2025 is located in Blackwood, within the midsts of the Lerderderg State Park, just 75mins from Melbourne. Starting and Finishing at the Blackwood Recreation Reserve with the Lerderderg River trickling by, the small rural village is surrounded by bushland and has a very friendly and welcoming vibe.
Each course provides some great running with a delightful mix of forest and bushland trails beside the Lerderdeg River, along aquaduct trails and weaving single track – it truly is a hidden gem for trail runners!
(Plus, there’s heaps to do in the area after your run – think Mineral Springs and delicious country food. More below!)
WHERE: Blackwood Sports and Recreation Reserve – 31 Recreation Reserve Road, Blackwood VIC.
START TIMES: CLICK HERE for full race day schedule incl start times.
DISTANCES: provisional distances as follows (exact distances tbc)
- Long Course: 22km
- Medium Course: 15.8km
- Short Course: 7.9km
These little known trails will open your eyes to the beautiful running opportunities in the Lerderderg State Park and broaden your love for trail running by exploring somewhere new!
Cafes and places to eat
Blackwood may be sleepy but that doesn’t mean you can’t get a great coffee or post race brunch!
Martin Street Coffee Roasters / Blackwood Cafe – Martin St – fresh coffee roasted onsite, kitchen, seating and friendliness. Perfect!
Blackwood Hotel – 1 Golden Point Rd – Old fashioned pub bistro, Open fire, forest viewing deck
Blackwood General – 21 Martin St, Blackwood General– coffee, sandwiches, baked treats, drinks, chocolate treats, ice cream, gifts
St Erth Café 189 Simmons Reef Rd – Café with seasonal menu using garden and local ingredients
What’s in the area: the fun to-do post-race activities
There’s some exciting attractions, both natural and food-related in the area; perfect for your post-race enjoyment.
Blackwood Mineral Spings Reserve
Blackwood Mineral Springs — Mineral Springs of Victoria
Blackwood Mineral Springs Reserve feature some lovely parkland beside the Lerderderg River and two natural mineral water springs where you can fill your bottles and enjoy a pleasant picnic or post run explore. Located just 1km east of the town centre, the Reserve includes a range of scenic walking tracks that follow the river (not used in the races) that take you to Shaws Lake via Sweets Lookout. Roll out the picnic blanket or fire up a BBQ and enjoy the tranquility.
The Garden of St Erth
The Digges Club Gardens – The Garden of St Erth
The Garden of St Erth is a beautiful native garden maintained by the Diggers Club. Famous for its spectacular displays of daffodils, lupins, rare shrubs and perennials, the gardens feature an 1860s miners cottage, a nursery and café. Browse a wide range of incredible edibles, hardy perennials and shrubs to stock up on the full range of seeds for the vegetable and flower garden back at home.
- Café – Coffee, seasonal menu using garden and local ingredients
- Glamping accom – Each of our 5-metre wide bell tents is carpeted, private and decked out with all the mod-cons including 100% flax linen bedding, in tent heaters and air-conditioning and access to well equipped private bathrooms.
Lerderderg Start Park
The Lerderderg State Park lies to the south of Blackwood and covers 14,250 ha. It is noted for the 300 m gorge which cuts through the park as it heads southwards towards Bacchus Marsh. The gorge helps create a sense of diversity of vegetation (there are over 320 tree species in the park) with fern gullies, dry open forests (stringybark and ironbark forests exist) and wildflower displays in the spring. The main appeal of the park lies in its proximity to Melbourne. It offers camping, bushwalking, picnicking, fishing, swimming and driving.
Miners Hut
On Whalebone Road there is one of the original cottages which dates from some time between 1855 and 1864. It is one of four huts in the town. All are indicative of the simple building techniques of the time. In this case the use of huge logs and simple mortar is an unusual vernacular technique.
Also at the end of Simmons Reef Road is the entrance to the Jack Cann Reserve. There are walking tracks which lead to Fosters Lookout and the remnants of tunnels and mines from the gold mining days along Simmons Reef.
Accomodation
Blackwood Mineral Springs Caravan Park: 41 Golden Point Rd, Blackwood 3458
Coventry Cottage: 48 Golden Point Road, Blackwood Vic 3458
Garden Beds Glamping Blackwood: 189 Simmons Road, Blackwood Vic 3458 Ph: 0467 837 112
